Frank Lampard responds after Glenn Hoddle slams Dele Alli’s unveiling outfit

Frank Lampard insists Dele Alli’s appearance ‘doesn’t bother’ him as long as the midfielder shows he is committed to the cause at Everton and willing to ‘improve every day’.

Alli received a warm welcome from the Goodison Park crowd as he was unveiled during the side’s FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brentford last weekend following his January arrival from Tottenham.

But there was some criticism for Alli’s choice of outfit, with the 25-year-old England international opting for a more casual look than fellow deadline day signing Donny van de Beek.

Alan Brazil, Ally McCoist and Glenn Hoddle were among those to question Alli’s appearance, with the latter particularly unimpressed by his bomber jacket and designer jeans combination.

Speaking on BT Sport, the ex-England and Spurs manager said Alli looked as if he had just been ‘dragged off the street’.

‘I didn’t like the way he walked out on the pitch with what he was wearing,’ Hoddle stated.

‘I know Robbie [Savage] wears a few things like that but we had a look at that, he’s got a new club, you should see how he’s dressed… I thought he’d just got dragged off the street to be honest.

‘If I’m an Everton fan, you’re going to a new club. Put a tracksuit on at least or something.

‘He’s got to get his head together. It’s not about Frank Lampard or Everton, he’s got to get back on the horse he’s good at, scoring goals from midfield.

‘If he doesn’t do that, I don’t see anyone getting the best from him.’

Alli could be in line to make his Everton debut at Newcastle tomorrow evening and Lampard was quizzed on the backlash to his new signing’s appearance at his pre-match press conference.

‘I’ve heard some of the reaction and I’ve got a lot of respect for everyone who have spoken, ex-players, people that I respect and admire in Ally McCoist, Alan Brazil and Glenn Hoddle. I would never go against their word,’ Lampard told reporters.

‘But when you’re working closely with players and working with Dele my personal opinion is that I don’t care what car he drives or what clothes he wears.

‘As long as I get a lad that comes to training every day, wants to improve every day, respects the club and his team-mates and then produces and then gives everything to produce.

‘I think the modern day has moved on and it’s changed. We all have to be very aware of that.

‘Again, I’m not hitting back at any form of observation because everyone is allowed their own opinion, but I can only deal with what is in front of me.

‘When I say that Donny and Dele are great lads, I mean it. Maybe Donny wears an overcoat that is longer than what Dele wears, a different kind of jacket, that doesn’t bother me. As long as they deliver on the pitch then I’m very happy with that.’

The newly appointed Everton manager argued that it could be detrimental in the long run to deprive Alli of his ‘personality’.

‘Everyone has their own individual personalty. To try and handcuff or restrict that could be detrimental,’ he added.

‘As long as players do the right behaviours when it comes to football and doing the right things, I’ve got no worries.’

Everton, currently languishing down in 16th place in the Premier League, could propel themselves up the table with victory in their next two games against fellow strugglers Newcastle and Leeds.

However, Lampard is reluctant to put ‘too much’ emphasis on their next two outings given there is still a long way to go this season.

‘There is a long way to go. I come here with 18 games left so to put everything on these two games would be the wrong attitude,’ he said.

‘We just have to absolutely isolate them, focus on them in the right way, against two strong teams.

‘We’ve got a game tomorrow night against a strong team that have just reinforced themselves with signings and we know they have a passionate fanbase that can affect the game.

‘It’s important for us that we just approach that without fear, with confidence, but an understanding of the hard game that it is.

‘But I don’t want to put too much on these games. We’ve got a long season to go to get to where we want to be and it’s about focussing on ourselves at this point.’

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